


A Meeting of Minds

by secretteam721



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Moicy, Moircy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-04 08:15:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14016057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretteam721/pseuds/secretteam721
Summary: This story details the developing relationship between Mercy and Moira. (WIP) (NEXT UPDATE: 3/24 at the latest) (Working Chapter 5 Title: Information Deluge)Note: Ch. 1-3: Rated TCh. 4: Rated M/E





	1. Charity Act

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angela is introduced to Moira at a fundraising event. Angela is introduced by an old friend from University.

    Angela walked into the meeting room and glanced through the crowd, looking for a familiar face among the fundraiser attendees. She didn't initially recognize anyone, and wandered over towards the silent auction tables to busy herself. As she browsed the multitude of baskets available to bid on, she felt someone tap on her shoulder.  
    "Angela! Is that you?!"  
    Angela turned around, only to be met with a big smile and hug from an acquaintance from Univeristy.  
    "Oh hi, Julie! It's been a while..." Angela stated with a friendly smile.  
    "I know! I can't believe it!" Julie seemed ecstatic to have run into Angela. "You look great, by the way." Julie commented, eyeing Angela's black floor-length dress. "Hey, do you have anyone to sit with?" She asked while glancing over Angela's shoulder, making sure Angela wasn't accompanied by anyone.  
    "No, actually... I just hoped I'd run into someone I knew..." Angela replied with a laugh.  
    "Ok, perfect." Julie started to lead Angela through the crowd towards her table. "You've gotta meet my friend. After you graduated, I started this research project under this great doctor. I think you guys study similar stuff, like, all the healing tech and stuff. You're still into that right?"  
    "Yeah. That's kind of why I'm here."  
    "Oh, yeah, of course. Anyways... take a seat." Julie pulled out a chair for Angela to sit at the table.  
    "Angela, this is Moira O'Deorain. She's the one I worked on my research with." Julie motioned towards the other woman at the table while introducing her. Moira was dressed in a stylish suite that Angela silently admired. Moira stretched out her hand and offered a firm handshake to Angela, who introduced herself.  
    "Nice to meet you Dr. Zeigler." Moira commented. "I've heard quite a bit about you. Your work with biotic tech is impressive."  
    "Oh, um, thank you..." Angela replied nervously.  
    "Hey, can I get you a drink, Angela?" Julie interrupted.  
    "Uh, sure... whatever you would you normally get is fine with me." Julie left the table and headed for the bar at the other end of the room.  
    "So, Dr. Zeigler, what does your current research entail?" Moira inquired.  
    "Well, currently I'm working on developing more efficient methods of cellular regeneration. Current methods--"  
    "Fascinating." Moira cut off Angela. "I've been working on something similar. I've been looking at repair through the lens of cellular and mitochondrial DNA."  
    "Yes. I believe that is the core of the issue;" Angela spoke quickly, "the 'secret' to regeneration most likely lies in that. However, I am looking elsewhere in order to avoid opening any sort of 'Pandora's Box' with DNA modification. It's a touchy, if not taboo, area."  
    "Indeed it is. But why avoid it when it could progress humanity as a whole." Moira replied with smirk. She enjoyed that Angela was quick to talk about such topics.  
    Julie returned with the drinks. "I see we've already struck up some decent conversation..." Julie set down a drink in front of each of them, "To... friends, new and old? I suppose...?" Julie said with a laugh, raising her drink before taking a sip.  
    "I suppose." Angela and Moira replied in unison, lifting their drinks towards each other before each taking a sip.  
    "So, sounds like we're already talking science. That's a good start for you, Moira..." Julie said with a raised eyebrow.  
    "Oh hush..." Moira replied. "But yes, it seemed like a logical place to start with a doctor of such caliber." Moira eyed Angela with the comment. Angela avoided the eye contact and blushed slightly at the comment.  
    Suddenly, another person approached the table. "Angela? I can't believe it!" Torbjorn, one of Angela's previous patients and friends, hurried up to the table at the sight of the doctor. Angela rose from her seat and offered Torbjorn a friendly hug.  
    "Ahhhh it's so nice seeing ya again, you know. Check me out, still holding up fine since last time!" Torbjorn held up a mechanical arm, showing it off to Angela.  
    "I see! How wonderful!" Angela commented.  
    "Do ya mind if I steal ya for a sec, Angela? I want you to stop by our table over there..." Torb asked, motioning towards the other side of the room.  
    "Oh..." Angela shot a questioning glance at Julie and Moira.  
    "Go ahead! We'll be here all night!" Julie encouraged.  
    Torb led Angela over to his table near the left side of the room. Angela recognized a few of the faces seated at the table.  
    "Angela!" The group seemed to shout in unison. Angela waved to everyone at the table before taking a seat next to Torb.  
    "In case you don't remember from your last visit to our base... Ana," Torb pointed to each person at the table as he introduced them, "Jack, Gabe, Rein, and Jesse" Angela smiled and said hi to each person as Torb introduced them.  
    "You did an incredible job helping to fix up my friend, there." Rein said.  
    "Oh, I was only monitoring his recovery at that point! I couldn't do much at the time, you know." Angela replied.  
    "Yes, but it made an impression with us." Ana commented.  
    "Yes, and we're lucky to have spotted you here tonight. It's good to reconnect..." Jack started. "Have you ever reconsidered our--"  
    "Jack! Do you really have to start with that?" Gabe interrupted. "Disregard him." He shifted his attention back to Angela. "Anyways, how are you? What have you been up to since your last visit?"  
    "I've been working back home in Switzerland. I'm currently the Head of Surgery at the University Hospital in Lausanne, actually. I also have been conducting research on biotech and cell regen... in my spare time."  
    "No wonder your a genius if you're conducting research like THAT in your spare time!" Torb joked.  
    "That's great, though." Jesse added. "Sounds like you've been working your ass off."  
    "Pretty much..." Angela laughed. There was then a brief silence as everyone paused to think of what to say next.  
    "If you don't mind, I'm going to go grab some food..." Angela excused herself from the table.  
    "Of course, see you around!" Torb called out after Angela.  
    Angela made her way out of the meeting room towards the dinning area to grab some food. She sighed, thankful to escape her previous table. Although she liked everyone there, she knew Jack would harass her about joining Overwatch again. She wasn't interested in joining such a militaristic group. She was happy helping people at her current hospital.  
    She picked out a few hors d'oeuvres and walked back into the meeting room. She returned to Julie and Moira's table, but Julie had wandered off again.  
    "Hope you don't mind if I sit with you again?" Angela inquired.  
    "Of course not." Moira replied, taking a sip from her drink. "What was that all about? If you don't mind me asking..."  
    "Oh... he was an old patient of mine back when I was in University. He lost his arm and his eye in this one mission that Overwatch was on, and I helped monitor his recovery."  
    "Hmmm, so you've worked with Overwatch?" Moira raised an eyebrow with her inquiry.  
    "Eh... not directly. Like I said, I monitored his recovery and that was it. They're... a bit insistent on me working with them, though."  
    "Yes.They are wanting the best of the best there." Moira replied with a smile.  
    "That doesn't change whether I'd ever join though."  
    "What makes you so hesitant? Looked as though you were getting along with them..."  
    "Getting along with them and working with them are two separate things. I prefer working in a hospital setting where I feel I can directly help those in need."  
    "Makes enough sense, I guess. What about funding for your research, though? They can supply you with what you need for that."  
    "Yes, but my research is... I guess, currently a side endeavor. A bit of a passion project, per se."  
    Moira arched her eyebrow questioningly.  
    "Well, you know what I mean. I'm continuing my research, with or without the outside funding." Angela awkwardly explained.  
    "You and me are alike in that manner, then." Moira smiled again. "Anyways, let me get you another drink, darling." Moira had noticed Angela had almost finished her drink. She got up, and left Angela alone at the table for a moment. Angela finished her food and disposed of her plate before Moira had returned. Moira finally made her way back over, this time, taking the seat adjacent to Angela, instead of her previous seat across from Angela. Angela turned her seat so that she could face Moira. She smiled up at Moira as she handed her the drink. She then noticed not only how tall Moira was in comparison to her, but also that her eyes were two different colors.  
    "I hope this isn't rude, but, I just noticed..." Angela started nervously, "Your eyes... they're very pretty!" Angela blushed at her own comment.  
    "Oh... thanks..." Moira glanced to the floor and also blushed at the compliment. "Funny story, actually, but they're why I became interested in genetics. When I was little, I wanted to figure out why such a mutation would occur, and, from there, I wanted to find how to pinpoint the mutation and reverse it."  
    "Really?"  
    "Yeah..." Moira trailed off as she brought her eyes back up to meet Angela's, now curious about her eye color. Blue, she noted. There was a pause before she began again, "All this talk of science... as interesting as it is, I'm curious. What else do you do Dr. Ziegler?"  
    "Um..." Angela took a sip of her drink. "In the little time I do have to myself... I suppose I enjoy reading. I'll read in the bath or before bed, you know." Angela let out a slightly nervous giggle. "How about you, Dr. O'Deorain?" Angela teased, "What else do you do?"  
    "I read quite a bit as well..." Moira started.  
    "What do you read?" Angela interrupted.  
    "Oh, anything really. Poetry mostly. Journals and periodicals, of course. And, as much as I hate to admit it, comic books are my guilty pleasure." Angela laughed at the idea of the seemingly so dignified Dr. O'Deorain reading a comic book. "I know, I know. My dad was a big fan of them and introduced me to them as a kid, and I guess I never really let it go." Moira explained, slightly embarrassed.  
    "No, no there's no problem with it!" Angela corrected herself. "Just unexpected, I suppose." Moira laughed in response.  
    "Ok then, what's something _unexpected_ about you then?" Moira asked with a smirk.  
    "I'm only on my second drink, Moira, and you expect me to tell you something 'unexpected?!'" Angela joked.  
    "Well, then I suppose I should be buying you another. Drink up, lass." Moira pushed Angela's drink closer to her. Angela obliged and quickly drank the last half of her drink, watching as Moira made her way back to the bar. Angela smiled to herself as she watched the taller woman place her order with the bartender. Moira turned and glanced back at Angela while she waited for their drinks. Moira flashed a smile and realized Angela must have been watching her. Angela eventually turned away, slightly embarrassed for staring, and riffled through her purse to find her phone, checking it out of habit, even though she knew there wouldn't be any notifications.  
    Before Moira returned, Julie made her way back to the table. "Ugh, sorry." Julie stated as she sat down with a huff. "That's the problem with these sort of events. You run into so many people and then you feel obligated to talk to all of them, when, really, you just wanna get back to your table and drink more beer with your friends." Julie laughed to herself. "Hey, where's Moira? It looked like you two were talking up a storm earlier."  
    "She getting more drinks, actually." Angela replied, pointing over towards the bar. She looked over, and noticed Moira had been held up, talking to a few older gentlemen from the Oasis organization.  
    "So... are you guys getting along?" Julie inquired, noticing Angela's lingering stare in Moira's direction.  
    "Huh? Yeah, I mean... she seems nice and everything. Very intelligent. We just met, so I'm not really sure of anything else..." Angela trailed off, ending with a nervous giggle.  
    Another stranger walked up to the table out of nowhere and quickly whisked Julie away. Julie peeked back over her shoulder at Angela and mouthed, "Sorry." as the stranger led her by the hand to another table. Angela just smiled a waved a weak goodbye. She returned to her phone, pulling down the notification bar to nothing.  
    "Here you go, Angie." Moira placed a drink next to Angela, who immediately turned her phone back over on the table. "Does anyone even call you that?" Moira inquired.  
    "Eh..." Angela replied with a smile and shrug. "And thank you, by the way." Angela added, turning her attention towards her drink.  
    "You know..." Moira started, "I don't mind you... It's refreshing having someone... who knows what I'm talking about... to talk to." Moira seemed to be thinking of how to word something. "If that makes any sense..." She laughed to herself, embarrassed to be stumbling over her words. "What's your number?" She asked bluntly, pointing towards Angela's phone.  
    "Oh!" Angela seemed excited at the idea. "Yeah, no problem. I like talking to you, too." Angela unlocked her phone, and opened the contacts, handing her phone over to Moira. Moira grabbed her purse out from under the table and searched for her phone, too. She eventually handed her phone over to Angela, and the two exchanged numbers.  
    "Here, let me test it." Angela mentioned. She texted, "Hi. It's Angela Ziegler from the Hope Fundraiser." A moment later, Moira's phone pinged as she received the text.  
    "Got it." Moira replied.  
    "Perfect."


	2. Tourist Operation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moira gives Angela a tour of the town. And a lunch date.

    Angela groggily turned off the alarm on her phone the morning after the fundraiser. She wiped her eyes as she laid in bed and scrolled through the notification feed on her phone: a news notification, a calendar reminder of her schedule for the day, a few e-mails, a missed call, and text. She dismissed everything except the phone call and text. The phone call was from the hospital she worked at, so she hurried to listen to the voice mail. It was one of her co-workers apologizing profusely, but asking Angela if she could fly back to Switzerland today instead of tomorrow afternoon like originally planned. An emergency surgery for a middle aged man was scheduled for early tomorrow morning, and the surgeons were nervous to proceed without Angela there. Angela sighed and decided she would call them later with her decision.  
    Angela scrolled to the text, which was from Moira. It was sent 2 hours ago, around 5 AM: "It was a pleasure meeting you last night, Angela. I would love to get to know you better. Maybe we could get lunch together sometime?" Then, another text sent a minute after: "Also, I hope you made it home ok." Angela smiled to herself as she read the texts. She set her phone back on the night stand so she could think up responses to the texts and phone call. She headed towards the bathroom to take a quick shower before heading down to the lobby for breakfast.  
    She returned to her room with a bowl of cereal and some fruit, and sat on her bed, watching TV as she ate her breakfast. She reached over to the night stand and grabbed her phone. She set it in front of her so she could call the hospital when she was done eating. She thought over her response in her mind. She would request to fly back late this evening. She could take a nap on the quick flight, and be ready to attend the surgery tomorrow morning. Since she would only be observing and advising, she wasn't worried about getting a little less sleep than usual.  
    Finally, Angela called back the hospital, and they were happy to accommodate her request for a later flight. Angela breathed a sigh of relief as she hung up the phone. She was happy to not lose most of her last day in Ireland.   
    Now, Angela faced the task of texting Moira back. She eventually decided on a safe response: "Thanks I had a nice time too. I did make it back to my hotel ok. Lunch would be great, but I do have to head back home tonight... :/" Then, Angela sent a second text, "I never caught where you are from last night. U from around here?" Angela threw her phone back on her bed, too worried to wait for a response. Instead, she distracted herself by getting dressed and ready for day. She had the news playing in the background on the TV.   
    As she was putting her hair up in its usually ponytail, Angela heard her phone beep, indicating a new message. She debated for a moment whether she should wait to reply, but texting someone new always made her feel excited, but also nervous about leaving the other person waiting too long without a response. Before she even finished her ponytail, she rain over to the bed and picked up her phone. "Oh yes I forgot you don't live close by..." Another text came through quickly: "Im from around here. I live just outside of Athlone." Another: "I know its somewhat last minute, but perhaps we could meet up today? I understand if you're busy tho. since you're leaving tonight"  
    Again, Angela smiled to herself as she read the texts. She replied quickly: "Well, I was hoping to take a little break today and do some sight-seeing. Maybe u can show me around?" She sent another text immediately after: "And we could do lunch while we're at it too :)" She cringed as she read it back to herself, and ran over to the counter in front of the mirror to finish her hair. Her phone beeped again.  
    "Sounds great. What time?" was all the text said. Angela was beaming and did a little dance to herself as she thought of a time.  
    "What works best for you?" Angela asked.  
    "You're the one who has a flight to catch. It's up to u." Moira immediately replied.  
    "9-10AM?"  
    "Let's make it 9:30AM"  
    "Sounds good! :)"  
    "Where are you at? I'll come get you at the hotel." Moira asked.  
    "Radisson Blu"  
    "Ok. be there soon enough."  
    It was currently 8:30AM. Angela decided to redo her hair completely now that new plans were in place. She had originally intended on site-seeing, but not with anyone in particular. Angela got out her flat iron and started straightening her hair, and she thought about what to wear.  
    After flat-ironing her hair, Angela decided on wearing a powder-blue shift dress with a slight turtle neck. After she finished her makeup, she saw it was 9:15AM. It was too early to go downstairs quite yet, so she turned on the TV. She practiced conversations in her head instead of really watching anything. She wanted to prepare herself so she could avoid any awkward silences.  
    Moira arrived about 10 minutes early to the hotel. Moira waited patiently in the lobby, admiring decor. Five minutes later, the elevator door across the lobby opened, and Angela stepped out. Angela smiled as soon as she saw Moira and let out a quiet "Hello!" in the otherwise silent lobby. Moira got up from her seat and greeted Angela with a friendly hug.  
    "I appreciate you taking the time to see me. I know things must be crazy for you..." Moira stated, guiding Angela towards the door with her hand on the small of Angela's back.  
    "Of course..." Angela stated, noting the guiding hand on her back. Angela wanted to say more, but she looked towards the floor and blushed as the touch distracted her.  
    "Where to first?" Angela managed to spit out.  
    "Well, there's a castle around here that's a pretty popular tourist spot. Figured that might be interesting to check out." Moira explained.  
    "Oh, that does sound neat!" Angela had planned to visit the castle originally, but she feigned ignorance of the castle's existence to allow Moira to revel in the honor of being her 'tour guide.'  
    "Yeah, it's a really interesting actually. There's a museum inside the castle, and the castle is actually situated in the middle of the city here. It's been updated in a few portions to make it tourist-friendly, but they kept the original look of most of the parts they updated." Angela nodded as she listened to Moira's explanation.  
    The pair walked along by the nearby river, and eventually Moira let her hand fall from Angela's back. She continued walking close to Angela, their arms occasionally brushing against each other.  
    After a moment of silence that followed some idle chit-chat about the river, Angela commented, "I like your dress." to Moira. Moira was wearing a black tee-shirt dress that flattered her lanky figure. Moira smiled and retorted, "You're one to talk. Look at yours! Is gúna an-deas é sin!" Angela grinned at the compliment. Moira suddenly directed Angela's attention down the river.  
    "See it down there?" Moira pointed to the castle across the river a block or so away.  
    "I didn't realize it was so close!"  
    "I wouldn't have made you walk otherwise..." Moira joked.  
~~~  
    Moira and Angela made their way through the castle tour and museum, and Angela savored every moment Moira stood close to her. She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't falling for the red-headed scientist.  
    Moira appeared as if she hadn't noticed she was standing too close to Angela the entire time, but Moira knew exactly what she was doing. The small, blonde doctor fascinated her. Between her looks and her intelligence, Moira felt like she might have met a keeper and wanted to make her moves slowly.  
    As the two left the castle, Moira led Angela to a cafe down the road for lunch. She said the Bastion Kitchen was one of the best places for lunch.  
    Moira opened the door for Angela and then led her to a table practically hidden away in the corner of the cafe.  
    "So..." Moira began, noticing Angela's eyes wandering around the restaurant. "You enjoying this? Or am I an absolute bore?" Moira inquired with a smirk.  
    "Oh, no. I'm having a lovely time with you, frau." Angela began, but she caught herself staring, scanning over Moira's features, trying to etch them in her mind. Moira smiled back and raised an eyebrow in response to Angela's dreamy gaze. "I just wish I didn't have to leave so soon..." Angela lamented.  
    "Hmmm. Yes." Moira had let that fact slip her mind throughout the day. She felt her stomach sink as she realized she may not see Angela again. "That is a pain... At least we can text and call each other, I suppose." Moira suggested.  
    "Yeah, but it's not quite the same, you know." Angela let her crossed leg wander under the table until it brushed up against Moira's. Moira felt herself blush as she recognized the small gesture.  
    Suddenly, the waitress came over to their table, asking the pair what they wanted for lunch. Angela, startled, immediately sat up,  and shifted her legs. She had forgotten where she was as she had lost herself in her thoughts.  
    Moira ordered herself a sandwich and Angela ordered the same thing as Moira. As the waitress walked away, the pair returned to their conversation.  
    "I mean, you don't live too far away..." Moira pondered. "It would probably be more an issue of you finding time away from work." Moira joked.  
    Angela laughed, "Indeed, that is my biggest problem. Not enough hours in the day. Technically, even now, this is 'business.' The hospital paid to send me here for the fundraising event... They just didn't schedule anything for me today so..." Angela trailed off.  
    "Ahhh yes. Must be nice." Moira replied shortly, but had another thought on her mind. "What's it like for you back home, anyways?" Moira asked. "Where do you live, and all that?"  
    "For me?" Angela thought for a moment. "I just live in a small apartment near the hospital. Makes my commute easy. I moved there after university, and have never moved elsewhere. I'm hardly there anyways, with how much I work and all..." Angela rambled. "And you?"  
    "Just me and my two dogs for now. I live a little outside of town here in a small house. A bit quaint, but I enjoy it."  
    "Somehow that seems fitting." Angela joked. "Oh, I have a cat at my place, too. But she's mostly an outdoor cat. She's there as little as I am." Moira smiled and shifted herself in her seat so that her leg was flush against Angela's again. Angela felt her skin prickle at the contact, and she smiled in excitement.  
    "My dogs are the opposite. They stay indoors most of the time..." Moira continued, "So..." But Moira's thoughts were interrupted by the waitress returning with their food. The two began eating immediately, and exchanged pleasantries over how good the food was. Eventually, Moira switched topics from the food. "So, what time do you leave tonight?" Angela sensed Moira was trying to plan something.  
    "My flight leaves at midnight. I'll need to be at the airport by 11 PM at the latest... I'll wanna get a little shut-eye before all that..." Angela rambled. "I suppose I'll probably want to be back at the hotel around 7 ish?"   
    "Sounds like a plan."  
    "Yeah. I have to advise some of the surgeons tomorrow at a 4 AM procedure. Emergency brain procedure on a 38 year-old man. He has a glioblastoma that has been left untreated for a few weeks. He thought 'he would be fine' even though he had been experiencing a plethora of symptoms including stroke-like episodes." Angela finished with a sigh and looked down at her meal, contemplating how much her biotech would actually help in the grim situation.  
    "Oh, wow." Moira stated flatly, not realizing the situation Angela would be facing in the morning. Moira laid her hand on Angela's free hand that rested near her plate. She gave a gentle squeeze for support before returning her hand back to wear it previously rested under her chin. "Um, if you need to head back earlier so you can get some more sleep, that's totally fine..." Angela wished Moira would have continued holding her hand.  
    "No, no. I'll be fine. I'll only be overseeing this particular surgery. The others were nervous about performing on such a dire case without me there to ensure they don't mess up."  
    "Hm." Moira huffed. She looked down at her plate, unsure of how to continue the conversation. Angela picked up on her loss for words, and changed the subject yet again.  
    "What do you have planned to do next?" Angela asked. She pushed her plate aside, since she finished eating.  
    "I suppose we could just walk around, and stop in wherever interests you. There's some neat shops here and there that you might enjoy. Later on, I think I wanna take you to 'oldest pub in the world.'" Moira put a mocking tone on the last part to emphasize the grandeur, but silliness of the claim.  
    "That sounds lovely..." Angela commented, happy that the afternoon sounded like it would an easy-going, pleasant one.  
    Moira pushed aside her plate as the waitress returned to the table. "One check please." Moira stated.  
    "Moira..." Angela began. Moira shushed her but Angela continued, "I could have gotten my own stuff! The company pays for that..." Angela said with a giggle.  
    Moira shrugged and laugh, "Too late now, I suppose." Angela shook her head at the other woman's stubbornness.


	3. Disaster Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moira and Angela struggle through their date.

    After paying the bill, the pair got up from their seats to leave. Moira grabbed her purse from the corner of the booth, and as she brought her purse towards her shoulder, she accidentally knocked over her glass of iced tea. The glass and its contents flew across the floor and all over Angela's dress.  
    "Shit!" Moira exclaimed, rushing to grab her leftover napkins. Angela did the same and tried to dab the fabric of her dress to pull the stain out.  
    "It's fine!" Angela reassured, laughing.  
    "I can't believe I did that. I'm not usually so clumsy..." Moira muttered, trying to clean some of the tea off the floor. Their waitress walked over then, looking worried as she watched Angela trying to clean her dress, and then over to Moira, hunched over trying to clean up a major spill with two small napkins.  
    "Don't worry, I'll get it..." the waitress began. Moira tried to contest, but the waitress insisted it was no big deal and just part of her job. She thanked the pair for starting to clean up. Moira rushed out of the restaurant ahead of Angela, red in the face. She turned as Angela burst out the door, laughing.  
    "That was smooth, Dr. O'Deorain..." Angela joked.  
    "Shit. No... your dress is ruined..." Moira worried, eyeing the obvious stains on the pale blue dress.  
    "Seriously? It'll come right out in the wash. I'll just hold my purse in front of me while we walk back to the hotel. I'll throw on something else." Angela marched on ahead in the direction of the hotel. Moira stayed behind for a moment, cursing to herself while she facepalmed. After a final moment of chiding herself, she jogged to catch up to Angela.  
    They made their way back to the hotel, making idle chit-chat about the weather and the city as they walked. As the pair entered the hotel, Moira hesitated in the lobby.  
    "I'll just wait here..." She said, started to sit down on one of the couches.  
    "No, you're fine! It'll just be a second. Come on." Angela insisted, oblivious to how the impending situation could be misconstrued. The two rode the elevator and proceeded to Angela's room. When they entered, Angela offered Moira a seat on the bed and handed her the remote. Angela rummaged through her luggage, looking for another decent outfit to wear. Moira remained silent as she flipped through the channels, listening as Angela talked herself through her wardrobe options. Finally, Angela decided on something and ran into the bathroom without a word.  
    Moira let out a sigh of relief and relaxed for the first time since she entered the elevator a few moments ago. She had felt tense and nervous about being in such a private space with Angela. She told herself to calm down, and that this was nothing.  
    Angela changed in the bathroom, and, suddenly, it dawned on her why Moira would have hesitated about coming up to Angela's room. She scolded herself for being such an idiot and for possibly making Moira uncomfortable. She couldn't help, however, to let her mind wander, contemplating the possible outcomes of what could happen after she left the bathroom. She ran through it in her head. She would sit next to Moira on the bed to 'watch TV.' She would sit so close to her that their legs would touch, and she would find every excuse she could to touch Moira. She could rest her hand on Moira's thigh, or casually put her arms around the other woman. One thing could lead to another and...  
    Angela physically shook her head to dismiss the thought. The last time she rushed into a relationship like this, it ended poorly. She told herself just to leave once she was done changing. She was only here to change her clothes, anyways.  
    Moira continued mindlessly flipping through the channels, imagining if there were ulterior motives to Angela inviting her up to her room. She quickly repeated to herself that this was nothing.  
    Angela changed into some jeans and a casual top, and let out a sigh to recollect herself before turning the handle to the bathroom.  
    "This look OK?" Angela asked as she entered the normal part of the hotel room.  
    "Beautiful." Moira replied, still blushing from her brief daydream.  
    "Ok..." Angela sighed, "Let's get going." Angela sounded nervous.  
    "Yes." Moira replied, sounding equally awkward.  
    Angela took the remote from Moira and returned it to its space next to the TV. She turned back to Moira and offered her hand to jokingly help Moira stand up from her seat on the bed.  
    "Thank you, m'lady." Moira joked with a head nod. Angela let out a loud laugh.  
    "I can't believe you said that!" Angela choked through her laughter. She continued holding Moira's hand as she led the geneticist through the door and into the hallway. The two entered the elevator, and Angela let go of Moira's hand to press the ground floor button. Moira frowned to herself at the loss of contact. The women silently left the hotel, both wondering if they just missed an opportunity.  
    "Now where to?" Angela broke the silence after some time.  
    "Like I said, we can go back across the river and stop in some of the shops..." Moira offered. "If you want to, of course."  
    "Yeah, I'd love to." Angela replied.  
~~~~~  
    After a few hours of wandering around the town, Moira finally suggested that they should visit the pub she talked about earlier.  
    Moira led Angela by the hand into the darkened pub. They found a booth hidden away in the corner, opposite of where a band was playing. Once Angela was seated, Moira excused herself to the bar, and asked Angela what she wanted to drink.  
    "Nothing too strong. I'm already not getting enough sleep before that surgery tomorrow..." Angela joked. Moira smiled, turned on her heels, and waltzed over to the bar.   
    Angela sat quietly in the booth. She had an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Angela sat, staring at the empty booth seat in front of her, and suddenly, she felt a wave of panic rush over her. "I shouldn't be here. I need to be on the plane. I need to get some sleep. I shouldn't have gotten so attached to someone I'll never see again!" The thoughts bombarded Angela all at once, and the stress and guilt were overwhelming. She thought for a moment of leaving the pub while Moira was away, just to avoid dealing with the inevitable pain of saying goodbye and to make up for the fact she took a later flight. Her feet disagreed, though; they seemed to be glued in place.  
    "Hope this is good." Moira pushed a drink across the table to Angela as she slid into the booth across from her. Angela avoided eye contact, staring at the drink as she pulled it close to her. She felt angry with Moira, for ever being introduced to her, even though she knew it was completely irrational. Moira quickly keyed in on Angela's change in mood. She leaned across the table, closer to Angela.  
    "Everything ok?" Moira mumbled over the music, trying to tread lightly and to read Angela's emotions. Angela let out a loud sigh and closed her eyes, trying to collect her thoughts.  
    "I guess everything just hit me all at once." Angela spewed. "I... I don't know. It just hit me that I'm leaving here in a few hours. That I need to be overseeing a surgery tomorrow with one of the highest mortality rates possible. That I... I don't know..." Moira sat back in the booth and listened. She sipped her drink as Angela spoke, contemplating what to say next.  
    "I see." Moira began. "I could imagine that gravity of such a situation would be quite stressful..." Moira took another sip of her drink. "When you've finished your drink, would you like me to walk you back? I wouldn't be offended if you say yes, I unde--"  
    "No, no that's not what I need." Angela cut Moira off. She sighed again, struggling to put her emotions into words. "I guess I just got so caught up in... in this, here, with you... and I forgot that I have to go back to my- I wouldn't call it bad, just... hectic? stressful? lonely?- life back home. I realize that probably sounds idiotic, but I just feel like we've gotten really close here, like I feel like we've known each other a long time or something. Again, it sounds stupid, but..." Angela stopped to catch her breath. "I'm rambling... nevermind." Angela's face grew red with embarrassment after ranting with someone she suddenly realized she actually hardly knew.  
    Moira reached across the table, placing her hand on Angela's. She remained silent for a few moments, staring in the distance as she processed what Angela might be feeling. "For now, perhaps the best thing for you... is to breathe, and just... live in the moment." Moira spoke slowly, trying to verbalize her thoughts carefully. "Take this time now, to enjoy what you can before returning home." Moira chuckled to herself. "I laugh because I don't think I could follow my own advice here, but try to not to focus and worry so much about the future, when you could be happier with the 'now.'" Moira chuckled again. "Now I just sound cheesy." She commented.  
    Angela giggled and finally took a sip of her drink. "You know, you're right."  
    "I typically am." Moira quipped. Angela smirked.  
    "I mean, I'm still not happy about having to leave..."  
    "You act as if I'm happy you're leaving?" Moira said. "I'm not. But I suppose you can say I'm still in that ignorance phase you were in about 15 minutes ago. I'll be a mess when everything hits me around 3 AM tonight." Moira laughed and downed the rest of her drink.  
    "If you keep drinking like that, maybe it'll never hit you." Angela's comment made them both laugh. Moira shifted in her seat and scooched out of the booth.  
    "Don't judge me, but I'm getting another one." Moira said as she started back towards the bar. Angela shook her head as she watched Moira approach the bar tender. She thought to herself about how she might say goodbye later on. She quickly decided, however, just to worry about that when the time came.  
    A few moments later, Moira returned. "We can still text and everything after you leave, right?" Moira asked abruptly.  
    "That's what I hoped."  
    "Good." A pause followed. "So, you're working with biotech, right?" Moira asked, drastically changing the subject.  
    "Yes..." Angela wondered where the conversation would lead.  
    "You're looking into its regenerative properties, correct?"  
    "Yes." Angela was still perplexed, but happy to talk about something that distracted her from her feelings.  
    "Well, you don't suppose that the technology could eventually be used for... well, degenerative properties, do you?"  
    "It could definitely be used in that manner. Similar to poison, in that the bots break tissues down over time. Theoretically, if you engineer the nanos correctly, you could have them produce something from the broken down tissue. I'm actually looking into it as a cure for certain difficult to treat cancers. Have the nanos target the cancerous cells, and then regenerate new, healthy cells as a product. It's just a theory for now, though."  
    "Fascinating." Moira commented. "You truly do live to help others, don't you?"  
    "And what's that supposed to mean?" Angela asked, worried she heard sarcasm in the question.  
    "I suppose it was rhetorical. I'm impressed with your drive to discover concepts that have nothing to do with you." Moira paused. "Well, I shouldn't assume anything..."  
    "Oh." Angela said, relieved. "No, I've never had cancer or anything. I just... I feel like I need to make people's lives better. It makes me happy to see other people happy, I guess."  
    "And that's great." Moira commented, genuinely. She reached across the table again to hold Angela's hand. She rubbed her thumb along the side of Angela's palm. Moira seemed distracted. In the moment, the clock on the wall behind Moira caught Angela's attention. It was 6:30 PM.  
    "I hate to say this, but I do think I need to go." Angela stated sadly.  
    Moira pulled her phone out of her pocket and glanced at the time. "I guess you're right." Moira did not try to hide her disappointed. "Um... may I walk you back?" She asked, politely.  
    "Of course! I hoped you would." Angela said with a smile, getting up from the booth.


	4. Moral Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moira and Angela say goodbye.

    Angela and Moira walked hand-in-hand back to the hotel. They walked along silently and slowly, hoping it would somehow delay their inevitable goodbye. When they finally arrived in the lobby of the hotel, Angela broke the silence.  
    "So I guess this is it?" Angela chuckled nervously, looking to the floor to avoid eye contact.  
    "Not necessarily." Moira reassured. She brought her hand up to Angela's chin, and tilted her face up so they could make eye contact. Angela responded with a goofy grin. After a moment, Angela shifted her gaze to a point in the distance. She looked hesitant, like she had something to say. Moira took Angela's hands, and spoke quietly. "I'll still text you and everything. This isn't a finite thing, here..."  
    Angela shifted her hands so that she now had a hold of Moira's hands. Suddenly, she pulled Moira towards the elevator.  
    "Angela..." Moira commented with a hint of suspicion. Angela kept her gaze straight forward at the elevator and smiled to herself. She thought it wouldn't hurt for them to at least just watch TV together.  
    "I don't want to say goodbye until I have to." Angela said with a smile as they entered the elevator. Moira shook her head at Angela, but remained smiling. Moira shifted her hands to the pockets of her dress, and stood nervously in the elevator, looking at the floor. Her mind was blank.  
    The elevator beeped and opened as it finally made it up to Angela's floor. Angela walked ahead of Moira to her room. She noticed Moira kept her hands in her pockets, and didn't want to lead her along since she seemed nervous. Moira trudged behind Angela. She felt as if she had to drag her long legs through the hallway; they seemed heavy as stones. Moira's mind was still blank, processing only the appearance of the hallway and girl before her, and the uneasy feeling in her stomach. This situation was different than most of her past trysts, which had been fleeting and dismissive. She typically suffered no consequences, no true attachments, nothing other than the thrill of a late night meeting. But, somehow, this whole situation felt... wrong to her.  
    Angela unlocked her room and allowed Moira to enter. Moira set her purse down on the cabinet next the TV, and then just stood, awkwardly, in the middle of the room. Angela placed her belongings in the corner near the bathroom with the rest of her stuff. She looked through her luggage for a moment, and then threw some clothing in Moira's direction. "Use this if that dress isn't very comfy." Angela explained. Moira held out the oversized tee-shirt in front of her. It was an XXL shirt leftover from a blood drive that Angela's hospital conducted a few years ago. Without much thought, Moira obeyed, and started changing where she stood. Angela continued facing her luggage to give Moira some privacy, and changed into another oversized tee-shirt she had brought.  
    After she was done changing, Angela stepped into the bathroom for a moment to brush her teeth and wash her face. Moira remained frozen in place for a moment. She looked down at herself, feeling ridiculous in the huge tee-shirt. She looked down at her legs, and panicked about not having shaved them. She had been wearing tights with her dress she was wearing earlier. Eventually, Moira made her way to the bed she had been seated on earlier. She grabbed the remote, and turned on the TV to distract herself.  
    Angela emerged from the bathroom and sat down on the bed beside Moira. Moira grinned at Angela.  
    "What??" Angela asked awkwardly.  
    "Nothing." Moira laughed to herself. "It's just... you're really cute without your makeup and everything." Angela let out a laugh at the response. She wanted to contest the comment, but instead just thanked Moira. Angela then crawled towards the back of the bed and laid her head on the pillow. She tapped the empty place beside her.  
    "I figure we could just watch a little TV or sleep or something until I have to leave..." Angela explained. "Unless you need to go, of course. I never really checked on tha--"  
    "That sounds wonderful." Moira obliged and pulled herself up to lay on her side beside Angela. She noted Angela's legs were unshaven too, and a small wave of relief passed over her. How had she not noticed that earlier?  
    Moira hesitantly wrapped her arm around Angela's waist, and pulled herself a little closer her. "Is this ok?" she asked in a whisper. Angela smiled, and in response, turned onto her side to face Moira. She wrapped her arms around Moira, and rested her head under the taller woman's chin. After a moment, Angela responded with a quiet, "Yeah..."  
    Moira pulled her head away for a moment, and brought a hand under Angela's chin to tilt her head upwards. She placed a gentle kiss on Angela's forehead. "I'm gonna miss you." Moira whispered.  
    Angela kept her gaze forward at Moira's neck, avoiding eye contact. "I'm gonna miss you too." she stated. She felt as if her forehead buzzed where Moira kissed her, and she was excited with the new contact. However; the exhaustion from the day was already starting to set in, and Angela tucked her head back under Moira's chin, and she pulled her body as close to Moira's as she could. Her arms were wrapped around Moira's waist, and she pulled one leg up to rest over Moira's legs, while her other leg tried to sneak between Moira' thighs. Angela placed gentle kisses along Moira's neck.  
    Moira couldn't help but to take in a sharp breath as she felt Angela kiss along her neck. She could feel her face redden as Angela slid her leg further between her own. Moira placed a kiss on top of Angela's head, and ran her hand up and down Angela's back. Angela eventually stopped kissing Moira, and instead dragged her leg slowly up between Moira's thighs, until her thigh was flush against Moira's underwear. Angela smiled to herself against Moira's neck as she felt the warmth radiating from between Moira's legs.  
    In reponse, Moira tried to place her own leg between Angela's, but quickly realized the position would  be awkward. Instead, she let her hand wander lower down Angela's back, and eventually let it trail down the side of Angela's hips and thigh. As her hand moved up and down along it's path from Angela's back to the side of Angela's knee, Moira pulled Angela's large shirt up above her waist. Moira teased Angela, allowing the tips of her fingers to sneak under the waist-band of the back of Angela's underwear. Moira hesitated there a moment, before pulling her head back again to check if the action was ok. Angela let out a sleepy grunt of approval.  
    Moira could tell that Angela most likely didn't want to take things much further, so, instead, she just gave Angela's butt cheek a brief squeeze before bringing her hand back to Angela's thigh. Moira, still, felt like her body was on fire, and couldn't help but subtly drag herself over Angela's thigh for a moment. Angela noticed Moira's movements, and pushed her thigh up to give Moira slightly more pressure to grind against. Angela could feel the heat and slickness that was starting to soak through onto her leg. After a few minutes, Angela decided, as cruel as it might be, to pull her leg away slightly, in order to keep things from getting too heated. Angela was already struggling to control herself and keep from her ministrations at Moira's neck.  
    Moira noted how Angela shifted her leg, and realized that perhaps that was too much. She felt slightly embarrassed at her aggression, but her overall happiness quickly washed those feelings away. Moira slowly felt Angela relax more and more, until Angela's steady breathing indicated she had fallen asleep.  
    Eventually, Angela moved in her sleep, pulling away from Moira and laying on her back. She thrashed around a little, like she was dreaming, but Moira let her be. Moira eventually got up from the bed, slowly. She grabbed the pad of paper on the nightstand and her clothes, and ran into the bathroom. She changed her clothes quickly, and folded Angela's shirt nicely on the counter. She stood there, wondering what to write for the note. She decided to write: "Angela, Sorry to leave early, but I wanted to leave us on a happy note as opposed to a sad goodbye. I also honestly fretted that I might make you run late for your flight. Regardless, I will miss you, and I will keep in contact. I hope you can understand why I left." She signed the note with a heart.  
    Before she could regret anything, Moira tiptoed to the nightstand, and left the room. As she was descending the elevator, she typed up a text to send later after she knew Angela would be awake to catch her flight.  
    "Sorry about the note Angela. I hope you can understand. I also hope you have a safe trip back home."


End file.
